Explore Seattle’s Revitalized Pioneer Square

Matt Dillon, the James Beard Award–winning chef behind some of Seattle’s most beloved restaurants (Sitka and Spruce, Tavolata) was an early Pioneer Square pioneer, opening Spanish hotspot Bar Sajor in 2013 and then a year later, across the cobblestoned pedestrian street, the exquisite London Plane. His latest gift to the neighborhood is Copal, a light-flooded Latin American restaurant that opened December 2016 in the former Bar Sajor space. The place exudes a laid-back Mexican surf shack vibe (turquoise-painted wood banquettes, a bar clad in high-contrast black-and-white concrete tiles) and turns out creative wood-fired dishes like grilled Salvadorean cheese and smoked beef tacos. 323 Occidental Ave. S.; copalseattle.com

When the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 raged through Pioneer Square—then Seattle’s central business district—it ravaged 25 city blocks and much of the neighborhood’s infrastructure. When the neighborhood rebuilt, it did so 22 feet above the original street level. Though you can join tourists on a guided underground tour, a more civilized way to experience subterranean Seattle is to descend into the neighborhood’s newest bar, The Sovereign, carved out of what was once the ground floor of a stately bank, now secreted below grade. The transporting bar is an intriguing, tropical-inspired mashup of Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, with the original floor tile and iron-and-marble chandeliers complemented by William Morris-esque wallpaper and pressed-tin ceilings. Try the matcha mule, a concoction made from powdered green tea–infused vodka, lime, and dry ginger beer, or the house seasonal punch served, the menu promises, “in gaudy vintage crystal.” 119 1st Avenue S.; sovereignseattle.com